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Pro Medico Stiftung
Pro Medico Stiftung was founded in 1974 as the occupational pension fund for medical professionals in the Canton of Zurich. The founding sponsorship came from...
Pro Medico Stiftung
Pro Medico Stiftung was founded in 1974 as the occupational pension fund for medical professionals in the Canton of Zurich. The founding sponsorship came from the Ärztegesellschaft des Kantons Zürich (AGZ) and the Tierärztegesellschaft des Kantons Zürich, later joined by the Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Tierärzte (GST). Dr. iur. Hermann Walser leads the Board of Trustees, with management and administrative services provided by Mark & Michel AG, represented by Peter Michel and Gion Pagnoncini. The foundation anchors its investment policy in a multi-module structure that allows members to allocate capital across distinct risk-return profiles. Real estate forms a dedicated pillar through the Immobilien Schweiz Mandat, a direct mixed-use property portfolio held entirely within Switzerland. The liquid portfolio is diversified across three separate investment modules, though the specific asset-class compositions remain undisclosed. The fund has long been an active participant in collaborative engagement groups, joining the Ethos Engagement Pool Switzerland in 2011 and subsequently expanding to the Ethos Engagement Pool International to advance shareholder governance standards. Pro Medico also lists its participation in Transparency International Switzerland, signaling a formal anti-corruption posture within its investment processes. As a closed professional pension scheme, Pro Medico does not compete openly for assets under management. Its membership base is defined by eligibility rather than marketing, giving it a stable liability structure. The chief governance event of the period is the ongoing mandate of the Board of Trustees to calibrate crediting rates across all investment modules contingent on funding ratios. For calendar year 2026, the board has already published differentiated interest rates for member accounts tied to the specific investment module and the coverage ratio of the relevant pension fund portfolio. This process, enacted in January 2026, underscores the formulaic, fully funded orientation of the scheme. Pro Medico's structural differentiator is its embeddedness in the professional associations of a single Swiss canton. Unlike open-market pension funds that must court employers, Pro Medico's sponsor associations are also its distribution channel, creating a near-closed loop between the profession, the employer, and the retirement vehicle. Governance remains in the hands of the medical associations through the Board of Trustees, making the fund a true mutual-like extension of the profession's self-administration.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
1974
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
Zurich
Corporate office
Zurich, Switzerland
Principals
Hermann Walser
President of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Pro Medico Stiftung?
Governance authority rests with the Board of Trustees (Stiftungsrat), led by President Dr. iur. Hermann Walser. Day-to-day management and administrative functions are delegated to Mark & Michel AG, where Peter Michel and Gion Pagnoncini hold executive responsibility. The arrangement separates fiduciary oversight from operational execution.
How does Pro Medico Stiftung source its membership and assets?
Membership is not open to the public. Pro Medico is the occupational pension fund for members of its sponsoring medical professional associations — primarily the Ärztegesellschaft des Kantons Zürich (AGZ), Tierärztegesellschaft des Kantons Zürich, and the Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Tierärzte (GST). Eligible professionals and their staff join as required under the Swiss second-pillar system, providing a structurally captive inflow of assets.
What is the investment structure, and how are assets allocated?
The foundation organizes assets into three liquid investment modules of varying risk-return profiles, plus a separate direct real estate mandate, the Immobilien Schweiz Mandat, which holds mixed-use Swiss properties. Members may place their retirement savings in different modules, and the Board of Trustees sets differentiated annual interest rates on accumulated retirement capital based on each module's funding ratio.
How is Pro Medico Stiftung related to the Ethos Engagement Pool?
Pro Medico has been a member of the Ethos Engagement Pool (EEP) Switzerland since 2011 and later extended its participation to the Ethos Engagement Pool International. These memberships are used to exercise coordinated shareholder engagement and proxy voting on environmental, social, and governance matters across its Swiss and global equity holdings.
What is Pro Medico Stiftung's known posture on co-investments alongside external partners?
There is no public evidence that Pro Medico pursues co-investments alongside external general partners. Its investment management framework leans on the in-house module structure and direct real estate ownership. The firm's collaborative activity appears concentrated on shareholder engagement through the Ethos pools rather than on deal-level co-investment.
Where does the underlying capital come from?
Capital originates from mandatory second-pillar occupational pension contributions required under Swiss federal law. Contributions flow from self-employed medical professionals and their employing practices, primarily in the Canton of Zurich. The professional associations that founded the scheme, rather than a single corporate employer, define the eligible population.
Does Pro Medico Stiftung maintain separate philanthropic structures?
No separate philanthropic foundation or charitable vehicle has been mentioned in Pro Medico's publicly available governing documents, website, or affiliated professional association records. Its activities are confined to administering the occupational pension mandate and associated shareholder engagement work.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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